Fort Kochi taluk hospital to be COVID-19 centre

Other government hospitals too gear up to treat patients as cases spike in district

With COVID-19 cases soaring in the district, taluk hospitals and other major government hospitals are now gearing up to treat COVID-19 patients.

Health officials had asked taluk hospitals to set aside about 20 to 30 beds each to treat category B patients, said a doctor at the Angamaly taluk hospital.

Of the 200 beds for category B patients at the second-line treatment centre (SLTC) at Adlux, Angamaly, about 160 are occupied now, she said.

With the increase in cases, it becomes necessary to prepare to treat COVID-19 patients at taluk hospitals and other major hospitals in the district too, she said.

While the Angamaly taluk hospital does not have enough space to set up a COVID-19 ward in separate building, a section of the ground floor with a separate entrance and about 20 beds would be set aside for COVID-19 patients. An attempt is being made to increase the capacity at the Angamaly SLTC to 250 beds, the doctor said.

“Besides the Muvattupuzha General Hospital and the Aluva District Hospital, the taluk hospitals at Perumbavoor, Thripunithura, Angamaly, Palluruthy, and Kothamangalam will set up wards. The Fort Kochi taluk hospital will be entirely converted into a COVID-19 hospital with 150 beds for mostly category B patients. With an 18-bed ICU available at the hospital, category C patients could also be treated at the facility,” said Dr. Mathews Numpeli, district programme manager, National Health Mission.

Patients in isolation

For now, beds in taluk hospitals are only being set aside for patients in isolation at home who might suddenly require treatment.

Only once all other facilities are exhausted will the separate ward at the taluk hospitals be put to use, he said. An order was received from health authorities to set up an exclusive ward for COVID-19 treatment with continuous oxygen supply available for each bed, along with an ICU and ventilator, said a doctor at the Karuvelipady taluk hospital. “We have approached the Kochi Corporation to help set up a separate ward which could have about 40 beds. Additional staff appointments will also have to be made,” the doctor said.

Oxygen therapy

Considering oxygen therapy is crucial for category B patients who could be experiencing more severe symptoms, the Muvattupuzha General Hospital is also increasing its oxygen support to set up a COVID-19 ward with about 25 beds, that could begin functioning in about a week, said a doctor at the hospital. The hospital already had an isolation ward where suspected COVID-19 patients were admitted while they awaited test results. The staff from the isolation ward would now handle the new COVID-19 ward, the doctor said.

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